Old Monk: Marketing Without Spending A Penny

Posted in Marketing & Strategy Articles, Total Reads: 5622
, Published on 21 February 2012

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Sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away. No, I am not just humming the lyrics of the ‘famous’ Top Gun’ song but there is something that completes the nostalgic environment, and, that is The Old Monk. Admiring the waves and shivering in the parky winds, missing my glass of old monk doesn’t make me unique. This is a commonality amongst almost all alcohol lovers. Such is the impact of this champion brand.

Take off this plump short old man’s head and pour some insights, elevate yourself to the monk’s world. This dark vatted rum has been the pride of India for years. With the soldiers bordering our nation to the 9-5 worker, from the old hearts to the young ones, this brand connects with each of them. Predominantly admired by army personnels , with no time the brand spread its resonance all around the world. It became the best selling IMFL and the third largest selling rum in the world.

Ask anyone sipping this holy liquid and I bet he won’t switch to any other drink for his life. Such is the loyalty and comfort people share with the monk. Speaking of comfort and connect , the urge to become a part of this name is getting as strong as it can get and this is indeed evident from the growing number of communities and clubs being named after Old Monk.

Imagine, when a man of high stature talks about his favorite drink with such praise, wouldn’t you be tempted to try what exactly is there in this rum to hold its consumers for life. You won’t see a single advertisement on television or a hoarding on side of any street, but, still these two words are not anonymous to the world. Word Of Mouth , this is exactly what markets this brand so extensively and acclaim. And, let me tell you, this technique does not involve the incurring of a single rupee.

Confirms the officials of this brand produced by Mohan Meakin Breweries situated near Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh. The company never felt the need of spending on promotion and this indeed worked in their favor. But the recent shift of the youth towards other spirits resulted in a slip in the market share though they are still the leaders and constantly in top 5 rums in the world. This diversion has raised questions over the arising need to advertise to get back its market share. Despite the drop , the company still believes in their product and are unwilling to change their strategy, and why should they , after all the loyalists have shown resistance and they still form a huge number. If the quality and the taste remains the same, nothing can take away their support.

With the amount of recognition and distribution channels this brand has , the brand can gain its share at will if ever it decides to break the shackles. The charm and heritage associated with it will never let any person forget the name and will remain evergreen in all hearts without spending a penny to regain their space. The brand needs no promotion as the words are sufficient in the market. For the hearts and tastebuds of all the old monks …long live The Old Monk .

This article has been authored by Kushaal Joshi from FORE School Of Management.